Bribery
by railise
Summary: Guy and Kate reach an understanding. A scene rewrite from 3x02; the first few lines are from the episode in order to place where it veers away from canon. Written for a crack!ship challenge at LiveJournal's Hoodland... and ended up kind of working. :D


"You!" Guy's eyes narrowed as he recognized the blonde at the end of the line of village women. "Seize her!" he commanded his men, who instantly did as they were bid. Striding over, he watched as she yanked against the hands which restrained her. "Well, you're becoming a bit of a nuisance," he remarked, but even as the words left his lips, he thought that she was at least pleasant to look at, unlike most of the rabble he had to deal with. And more spirited.

"Do what you want to me. I'm not scared of you," Kate shot back at him, telling herself that the way her heart thudded in her chest was because she actually was frightened, and not due to his proximity. He was horrible, despicable, murderous... immoral... intriguing...

It was on the tip of his tongue to threaten her precious brother, but Guy found himself unable to do it- and he had no idea why. What did he care if her miserable excuse for a sibling swung from a noose? She would be better off, really; the boy was an unimpressive specimen, and it would be one less mouth for her family to feed. However, the words would not come. "Take her to the dungeons," he growled instead, turning to storm away.

As the guards tugged at Kate's arms, she felt her chance at saving her brother- as well as an encounter she had been anticipating- slipping away. "Wait!" she called. "Please, just let my brother go!"

Halting, Guy wheeled to face her again, attempting to ignore how very innocent she looked, despite the fire flashing in her blue eyes. The combination of guilelessness and passion was fascinating- not that he was noticing. No, she was just another irksome serf, wasting his time. "And why should I?"

"Because you may be pure evil, but you're still a man," she replied, reminding herself that the breathy way that emerged was from fear, not titillation.

His eyebrow was not the only thing that rose. "Exactly what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, his voice full of silky menace.

The frustrated look she shot him was purely due to his stubborn question. Purely. "You know exactly what that is supposed to mean," she snapped.

Guy stared at her for a moment, noting the flare of her nostrils, the quick rise and fall of her chest. Without looking away from her, he instructed his men, "Leave us." As soon as they were alone, he stalked toward her- only to be knocked back a few steps when she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his. He was kissing her back before he even realized it, but quickly pushed her away. "Should you not be reluctant?"

Trying to catch her breath, and pleased to see that she was not the only one, Kate assured him, "Oh, I am. Quite reluctant. You scoundrel, I hate you."

That would do. "Bothersome peasant." Pushing her into the empty room behind her, he resumed the kiss once the door was shut and she was up against it.

As she righted her dress some time later, Kate said, "You'll let my brother go, then."

"Hmm?" Guy glanced up from lacing his trousers. "Oh. Yes. He's too weak to give to an army, anyway."

"And you'll leave us alone," she continued. "I would hate for you to come to Locksley and drag me to the manor tomorrow. Or later this evening."

He gave her a wicked smile. "If you would hate it so much, I shall be sure to do it."

"It's all to keep my family safe," she informed him haughtily, unable to stop her hand from running up his shirtfront.

Running his finger along the neckline of her dress, he nodded. "And I am merely accepting a bribe." His hand snaked around behind her neck, his thumb under her jaw tilting her face for a long kiss.

Half an hour later, she knotted the lace on her dress where he had cut it, while he tried to arrange his shirt to hide the tear down the front. "I wish you had not undone my braid," she muttered. "It takes me forever to get it right."

"Do not dare repair it, or I _will_ hang that brother of yours." With a glint in his eye, he added, "As I will do if you are not at Locksley Manor at dusk."

"You monster," she laughed.


End file.
